“Here’s Pongo coming back again. Let’s ask him,” suggested Jimmy.

Pongo, urged to bring his great brain to bear upon the matter, gave his decision.

“Wait till he’s gone to bed and got to sleep. Then enter the room very quietly and put the clocks down on the floor.”

“Little Pongo’s right again,” said Jimmy. “On the word ‘one’ all pack clocks, and then we’ll go downstairs and disarm suspicion.”

Bridge was still proceeding⁠—with a slight difference. Sir Oswald was now playing with his wife and was conscientiously pointing out to her the mistakes she had made during the play of each hand. Lady Coote accepted reproof good-humouredly, and with a complete lack of any real interest. She reiterated, not once, but many times:

“I see, dear. It’s so kind of you to tell me.”

And she continued to make exactly the same errors.